Following the Ulster council's decision to propose Casement Park for a 40 000 all seat venue to recieve Stormont funding and in the process becoming Ulster's Premier GAA venue, I was wondering what people's opinion is on this? The funding is coming about following Gregory's Campbells decision to shelve the Maze joint venture with rugby and soccer. The minister has propsed that each of the three sporting organisations put forward proposals for each of their own organisations. A decision which I might add is a bad one for all sport in Ulster, it will mean that the sports will remain divided along their political and class lins of GAA - Catholic, Rugby -Middle and Upper CLass Protestant, and Soccer - Working Class Protestant (interms of the N.Irish Clubs and N.Ireland team at least) . A joint venture would have given each of the organistaions an excellent chance to reach out and as a GAA man I would have seen it as an excellent chance to reach out and expand by recruiting Protestants in the province to the sports. However that opportunity has now gone and we will have to move forward with the current divisive terms. Clones as long as I always remeber and for a good while before as well was always the premier GAA ground in the province, there has been some great days there, there is always a good atmosphere, there are a variey of roads to get to it and is resaonably easy for most people to get to, although Antrim Derry and DOwn people might disagree. While no doubting the greatness of the venue there is no doubt that it is need of an upgrade as other county grounds have over taken it in terms of facitiles. So are the GAA right to turn thir back on Clones and plan for the future in Belfast? Casement park to me has never been a great venue bad atmospehere in and out of the ground, poor facilites, good transport but a long journey for most people in the province no matter what the South Derry media mafia say! Also questionable security for GAA people travelling to Belfast through North Armagh, the Lagan Valley and South Antrim in July. Also Belfast is not excatly a GAA stronghold so why should they receive the province's premier ground? Well since it is the country's second city then that is probably reson enough to put it there. Also Stormont is unlikely to cough up for a Clonoes refurb and Casement is the largest ground in the wee 6 so it will be the easiest to upgrade. Personaly I am infavour of Casement simply because the GAA must push to be the main Sporting Orgainstations in the Second City and that is not going to happen by playing it safe with a venue in Clones, Omagh or Armagh. I think all the other diffciulties are worth it if th GAA can become the largest sport in the city. Although I wish people from South Derry would stop going on about how close it is to the everyone! Its not its close to South Derry now give over! Anyone got any other thoughts or ideas

omaghjoe (Tyrone) - Posts: 1191 - 28/03/2009 15:13:15    242130

No thoughts

tomaoo7 (Dublin) - Posts: 5896 - 28/03/2009 15:52:09    242141

coming from west donegal, i'm not a huge fan of casement. i prefer clones.

it would have been alot better if the multi sport stadium had been built as the gaa in ulster hardly need a 40,000+ stadium. with all the counties bar derry and armagh having grounds that can host the first round games, fewer games are being played at neutral venues.

anyway, a 40,000 casement would only be a little bit (about 5,000?) bigger than clones at the moment and why would they make it an all seater stadium? seems like another waste of money in improving a gaa ground to a level that's not required.

Alvin (Donegal) - Posts: 218 - 28/03/2009 16:12:41    242155

As Belfast is the home of GAA in Ulster, I mean no other county comes within range of Antrim in Ulster titles won, and no county has won as many senior all Ireland titles, it would be fitting that the home of Ulster GAA was in Belfast.

I went to school in Casement Park, and my earliest memories of GAA are packed Ulster finals at Casement, usually featuring Down and Cavan.

I have only attended two finals at Clones. The last one was in 1996. I did intend to go to the final in 1997 but I was still on my way home from the 1996 final, stuck in traffic, so missed it.

patrique (Antrim) - Posts: 13709 - 28/03/2009 18:13:22    242223

Belfast and Antrim as a whole do need a boost and it is encouraging to see the Ulster Council support Belfast in this manner. Maybe more people in and around the area on matchdays will help to improve out of ground facilities (i.e. restaurants) as anyone wise would see a big business opportunity there. Great access in and out of the ground.

Saffron (Antrim) - Posts: 216 - 28/03/2009 18:38:34    242242

It seems strange to be doing up a ground that is located in one of the least populated gaa areas.

PK57 (Louth) - Posts: 1660 - 28/03/2009 20:34:09    242284

As a Monaghan man I know yous are going to say im biased but there are so many reasons why Clones should remain the premiere ground in Ulster, well at least ahead of Casement.Granted Omagh and Armagh might be a bit more central than Clones but the existing facilities are there so it wouldnt take as much to bring them up to speck.The reasons why Clones is a head of Casement is pure and simple
1. Monaghan has a strong GAA tradition and no more so than Clones and it surrounding areas.The people of Clones and Monaghan are very much in tune to what is going on in the GAA world and the whos who in the GAA. Can the same be said about Casement and the people of Belfast. The form of Celtic is more a concern to the majority of Belfast nationalists who won't go to see Antrim when they literally playing in their back garden.
2.People complain about traffic in Clones but ive been to more than my fair share of matches in Casement that have had to be delayed due to a build up on the M1. There's very limited parking in and around Casement while Clones has an embarrasement of fields and carparks you can safely park your car.Notice the word safely there, is your car safe in or around Casement?
3. There's no atmosphere or enjoyment in going to a match at Casement. Now im not saying everyone should go and get hammered at football matches but at least in Clones there's a number of pubs you can go for a bit of craic and a good time. There's hardly and abundance of pubs in and around Casemant and the pubs that are there arn't that desirable.

These 3 plain simple facts are more than enough to prove that Clones is the rightful place for the Ulster final and a stadu=ium that should be the pride of Ulster

NorthMonaghan (Monaghan) - Posts: 100 - 28/03/2009 21:07:21    242293

Bad idea clones should be the place for it instead of casement .

Dellboypolecat (Tyrone) - Posts: 15069 - 28/03/2009 23:06:45    242360

Belfast & Casement MUST be the hub of the GAA in Ulster as it is the major ground in the main city. Most other countries/states have their main sports grounds in the main cities so why should Belfast be any different? There is a very strong GAA community in Belfast but because Antrim is not doing well as a county there are those who say Belfast should be bypassed, that is nonsense. Of course GAA people in Belfast, especially West Belfast, MUST do more to welcome and make other counties and teams welcome but this cannot be allowed to stop development of Casement. There are many rural folk who have an in built antipathy to Belfast and it's citizens and they should lose that chip. We all have to work at this and as I say we Belfast GAA people know we have a lot to work at. Clones of course must remain as a top Ulster venue but cannot be allowed to have a monopoly on major games. It seems that many within Croke Park and the Ulster Council now realise that Casement has to be the main ground in Ulster, that is progress. It should also be acknowledged that many rural people are now working and living in Belfast and are joining Belfast clubs so Gaelic games are now starting to thrive again the city. Their children are playing for Belfast teams and are wearing the Antrim top and they now realise that Belfast and Casement have been neglected for far too long.

Ulsterman (Antrim) - Posts: 9816 - 28/03/2009 23:07:02    242361

Cellboy they tried it but they were worried about the legal implications. Britain has a much more liberal approach towards cloning.

spudenator (Laois) - Posts: 1052 - 28/03/2009 23:10:17    242365

PK57
County: Louth
Posts: 45

242284
It seems strange to be doing up a ground that is located in one of the least populated gaa areas.


Well there are about 250,000 Gaels around Casement, so I suppose we would need to go to Dublin then.


By the way lads, I doubt if the Northern Ireland assembly will be giving money to promote Clones. It does not fall under their jurisdiction.

Gregory has always been a wise and fair man, and knows best.

Casie it is.

patrique (Antrim) - Posts: 13709 - 29/03/2009 03:13:51    242409

I think it's a good move. It's about time they started promoting the games properly in Belfast. Having crowds of 40,000 converging on the city once or twice a year along with the hype that goes with it can only help.

eiregocroi (Cork) - Posts: 201 - 29/03/2009 04:10:10    242417

As a traditionalist Clones has to be the Home of Ulster GAA ,but I can't see the Sports Minister giving out a grant for the GAA to build a stadium in the south.

DynamoDooher (Tyrone) - Posts: 423 - 29/03/2009 12:29:58    242461

I would have to agree with dellboypolecat on this one.Clones for safety reasons only.

chalkie (Derry) - Posts: 312 - 29/03/2009 13:14:22    242485

Safety?? Please expand.

Ulsterman (Antrim) - Posts: 9816 - 29/03/2009 13:21:07    242494

Safety for fans watching a big gaa game in belfast.

chalkie (Derry) - Posts: 312 - 29/03/2009 13:41:21    242503

I really must ask if people from the North have any idea of what it is like in Belfast.

I have been going to Casement Park for 50 years, it is perfectly safe.

All these wimps moaning about children in Andersonstown attacking them and such is a load of nonsense.

Belfast, more than any other place in N.Ireland, has adopted best to life after the troubles. There is no threat to GAA fans, certainly not in Andersonstown, home of about 10 GAA clubs.

patrique (Antrim) - Posts: 13709 - 29/03/2009 15:20:52    242525

For me the choice has to be casement for a number of reasons:

The first being money, no matter who the sports minister is in the north there is no chance they would pump money into the state which rules clones out

others may say omagh and armagh are more central but try getting out of them in a hurry after a 40000 attendance. omagh is hard enough to get out of with 20000 at present - ask any down fan from last year and they dont usually be in that big a hurry as they have to ate the entire contents of a boot load of groceries. Armagh was bad enough 15 years ago to get in and out of after games. nothing has changed road wise in this time, its even hard enough to get through during the week never mind on a possible ulster final day.

Tyrone have an excellent recent record in casement especialy against derry which can only be good for gaelic games in general........

Tyrone V Derry/armagh in clones was always harder to call - we're on to a winner in casement already i reckon!

CJ & co wouldn't have far to travel to in order to drown their sorrows after another championship defeat

Casement would also help to promote gaelic games in west belfast in my opinion and through time antrim may become the dubs of the north!

mugsys_barber (Tyrone) - Posts: 2160 - 29/03/2009 15:34:43    242532

mugsys_barber County: Tyrone Posts: 738 CJ & co wouldn't have far to travel to in order to drown their sorrows after another championship defeat I think the problem was that some of the boys drowned their sorrows on St Patrique's Day, the day BEFORE their loss to Tyrone at U21 level.

patrique (Antrim) - Posts: 13709 - 29/03/2009 16:28:40    242553

i prefer clones but am being biased...... think will have to go for casement as it is now the centre of the universe,,,, apparently

sons.of.erin (UK) - Posts: 343 - 29/03/2009 16:34:27    242558